


A long journey

by Victor_Peach



Category: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:22:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24038821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Victor_Peach/pseuds/Victor_Peach
Summary: Loah Sie is a young selkie, travelling to save the town of Sanoria to keep the miasma at bay. Her group is led by a strange clavat named Elmoah who seems driven by an endless energy after being the lone survivor of a previous caravan. What kind of adventures will she live ?
Kudos: 6





	1. A Journal

**Author's Note:**

> My take on the FF:CC universe. More hard fantasy than the original work, there will be hardships, victories, defeats and it will roughly follow the canon.

(This first chapter is only a short introduction, there will be separate "journal" chapters, and more traditional third person chapters. Feel free to give feedback. English is not my native language, so I hope it's not too disastrous.)

I just turned seventeen years old. In our town of Sanoria, this means that I am now of age to be Chosen. Were I born a week later I would have gotten one more year of respite, but, well, I was born just before the Chosing and I can’t do anything about it. Every year, eight young people from the age of 17 to 30 are chosen through trial to procure myrrh. Only the best of us are sent off, of course, it’s a matter of survival after all. And doing any less than your very best just so you can stay home isn’t an option either, for you’d have to live with the knowledge that everyone could die because you did.  
Sometimes, tales of villages wiped off the map by the miasma after the failure of their caravan to return reach the town, reminding everyone of what is at stakes. We often imagine them watching over their crystal, glowing less and less bright with each passing month, still waiting hopefully for their children to come back, when they’re dead at the bottom of a dark pit somewhere. This is why only the best needs to go, because they cannot fail, because the crystal needs myrrh to glow again, and keep the miasma and the monsters at bay. Because it is our only way to survive.  


But… It is also very dangerous. Usually, at least one caravanner is never seen again, or they come back terribly crippled. Thanks to its gigantic crystal, Sanoria is still thriving, with acres of fertile lands and skilled artisans. It’s also one of the few places where every tribe can live in relative harmony.  
Oh by the way, my name is Loah Sie, and I’m of the Selkie tribe. We’re taller than Clavats and Lilties and more agile than everyone else, and while we’re not as good magicians as Yukes, we’re still very decent. Since we’re kind of good at everything, we usually keep to ourselves or so that’s what my mother said. Most of our groups are nomadic, which gave us a reputation of thieves and bandits. A lot of cities do not accept us and I suppose I should be lucky to be born here. My family is the town’s tailor and we’re happy here.  
I really am nervous about next week. What if I’m chosen? And what if I’m not? I’m starting this new journal in case I have to write in the caravan. I don’t want anyone to stumble upon my old journal, full of every adolescent thoughts and embarrassing poems I wrote.

I wasn’t chosen this year. I’m relieved, but also sad. I feel like I should have trained harder. Maybe this journal will stay blank forever.

I got 12th place this year. It felt good. Maybe I will be able to just let it go this time.

I’m frustrated. One of my childhood friend was chosen this year but I got even further than the first time. I got ahead of her every other time though. Maybe I should train more.

She died. Everyone except Elmoah died. He’s in a bad shape and doesn’t remember anything. The chalice was full, but we didn’t really feasted this year. I feel like there’s fire in my veins. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I’m only training now until I drop dead, least I see her smiling face when my eyes close. I’ll do it in her stead, I’ll protect her family.  
This year’s trials were organized in a strange manner. But I got in. 8th place. I did it Mirin. I’m not exactly happy but. It’s too late. My family isn’t happy either but, well. I needed to do it.


	2. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they depart from town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that read this. A lot of thanks to Le_Bilboquet for her help with my english and for her wonderful fanart you can find here: https://bill-beauxquais.tumblr.com/post/629539033342738432/i-drew-my-friends-oc-loah-sie-from-his-crystal

“Loah, Loah honey could you come down?” A young Selkie let a small sigh escape her lips. She had sharp green sea eyes and grey-blue hairs fell around a truly banal face. Loah Sie put down her pen, closed her bottle of ink and her journal, and got up from her chair, stretching herself, revealing muscled arms and a scar on her left arm. She was still a little sore from her afternoon training.

“Coming, mom!” she got out of her room and climbed down a ladder from the attic where her room was, then a creaking flight of stairs, to stumble upon her whole family in the common room. Her mom, Sin Thul, looked at her with a forced smile upon her face. Everyone told them how much they looked alike for selkies aged by bursts and it was difficult to tell who were the mother and who were the daughter. But for once she seemed to be much much older than usual.

“You’ll have all the time to write down everything on the road you know. Come here, we all want to spend this evening with you.”

Her father was already sat at the dining table, looking at her and not really knowing what to say. She smiled looking a the horrible small beard he tried to grow to look like “an accomplished artisan” and wouldn’t shave no matter how much her mom told him his few strands were ridiculous. Her little brother and sister were gently squabbling by themselves on a wooden bench by the table and then she felt a little thug on her shorts. She cooped up her second sister in her arms without thinking and the kid hugged her before speaking.

“I don’t want you to go Loah”

“Come on Ra, we already talked about it, it’s important for everyone”

Loah closed her eyes for a second, fighting back tears. Yes, it definitely was harder to leave now than ever before. But she didn’t really have a choice anymore. And she must stay strong for her family. She has something important to protect. Putting her sister back, she slumped down on a chair and the dinner was remarkably silent. All her family was trying their best to make small talk but all she could answer was little hums. She was only thinking about her bag, upstairs, and the ceremony to come. After the dessert she climbed back to her room, finished her bag and put on her traveling clothes. It was the best piece her father and herself had ever made. A good linen sleeveless tunic with a bright colored clothed belt. A good pair of pants. A sturdy leather breast plate with furs, assorted boots and arm protections. Nothing to hinder movements but covering enough to be protective. When she was ready, she climbed down to see her family for the last time before she came back. If she was to come back. The last night was always spend between the caravanners, to be sure they didn’t forgot anything and to make a soft transition.

She kissed goodbye to everyone, the children whining a little, then set toward the cliff. Only six months ago, the caravan was back. Or mostly the lone survivor. The dusk painted red the houses of the village like a bloody reminder. She walked past the blacksmith lost in thought and saw a lilty all equipped clinking in her direction. They nodded to each other and finished the walk in relative silence, the metallic halberd beating their walking rhythm. They walked past the elders house who must be drinking to their success. None dared break the silence falling upon the town and even though it was a beautiful spring day, a chill run down the selkie’s spine. The windmills were lost to the shadows when they got at the far end of the cape where the encampment was set. Looking behind, Loah could see the little lights creeping out the windows of the dark village and a small light getting bigger as they got closer to the summit. Soon they were at the top and they could hear the sea crashing down dozens of meters below.

She knew at least from view all the chosen, some were neighbors, some were older caravanners. When they got around the fire camp, four pair of eyes looked at them before going back to the flames without a word. Loah decided to do the same and gloomily sit down around the fire, putting her wool blanket comfortably around her shoulders. She remembers how her mother knitted it in the past few months, it was more than her best piece, it was her own feelings for her cold daughter that were sewn. Sighing, Loah understood the heavy atmosphere. Everyone were thinking about their family, their friends, their loved ones. And since they needed to be focused on the road, it was the last time they could do it, safely inside but away in spirit from the village.

Loah were dwelling so much she didn’t heard the last two people to get here until a young clavat girl sat down beside her without even looking in her direction. They were now all here and an impressive clavat boy with blond hairs and a scar crossing his face got up. Everyone knew him, he was Elmoah, the lone survivor of last year’s caravan. Who got first place every time since he was 17 and who surprised everyone by participating to this year’s chosing as well. Of course no one could have blamed him for not going. It was an unspoken rule that after a few participation in the caravan you could retire. He was their elder and should be saying things about their mission, its importance. This kind of things.

“Caravanners, I don’t know how many of us will return home safely, do your best to stay alive. We’re leaving tomorrow at dawn, so for now let’s rest”

He then sat back down and got his sleeping gear off. As one, every member did the same and got to sleep. As she laid down, Loah wondered how would anyone would be able to sleep tonight, but she was swiftly asleep, as if a benevolent soul wanted to alleviate her burden, if only for a night.

She was woken up a few hours later by a shake. Getting up immediately and shrieking a bit, she threw off the clavat girl waking her up. Feeling stupid, she gave the other girl a helping hand to get up, apologizing but the other girl didn’t seem to mind anything this morning and just shrugged. Loah was the last up so she quickly put everything in her bag. The sun shyly tried to pierce through the night and the horizon above the sea was slowly turning from gray to violet. A few minutes later, everyone was ready and they put their stuff into the cart while Elmoah harnessed the papaopamus who would pull the caravan. The big blue beast didn’t struggle at all and followed its master peacefully. Behind them walked gloomily all the others caravanners. The mist coming from the sea had invaded the whole town and they could barely tell anyone was living here until they saw a light from afar. At the end of the village, Daniel the elder gave Elmoah the chalice and its little crystal like a tiny lighthouse amidst the darkness.

“Oh brave caravanners, you will be gone for months to protect us and this land. May you fill this chalice and in return may it protect you from harm.”

Daniel then stepped away and the caravan begun its travel without a sound. Everything was sucked up by the mist, apart from their leader and the formidable light emanating from it. Thus they began their journey away from the village, further and further.


End file.
